Matt Lauer. AP On Wednesday, NBC announced in shocking fashion while opening the "Today" show that its longtime host Matt Lauer had been fired due to "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace."

This is the latest bombshell revelation of a powerful man in entertainment who has been taken down due to sexual misconduct allegations.

Though it's too soon to tell what the ramifications will be for "Today" in the battle for morning ratings, it's clear NBC has lost one of its major players. That's evident by how much the company was paying him.

Lauer, who has been a host on "Today" for 20 years, was earning $25 million a year, according to Variety.

The trade compiled the biggest estimated annual salaries of reality, news, and talk show hosts over the summer, and Lauer is in the top three on the list, which also includes the likes of Megyn Kelly, Ryan Seacrest, and Ellen DeGeneres.

Here are the top 20 paid hosts:

Note: Some of these figures below include fees for producing and back-end compensation.